Ruby's Story
by technologychic29
Summary: What happened to Ruby before she came to the Great Tree?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**a/n: This is my first fanfic. Criticism is appreciated, but please, only _constructive_ criticism.**

**Disclaimer! I DO NOT own any of the characters except for Lila. All others belong to Kathrine Lasky.**

_Prologue_

_" Mummy?" Lila, the adorable little Short-Eared, said to Ruby. "How did you get to the Great Tree?" Ruby look at the fledgling. She was not actually her daughter per say. Ruby had adopted her. Lila had been caught in a situation all too many chicks faced. Her parents had gone out to hunt and never came back. Luckily the guardians found her and brought her to the tree. Ruby loved the little one from the moment she saw her, and so she gave the girl a home._

_"Not many owls ask that question dearest."_

_"I know. That's why I asked you. No one else seems to know."_

_"Well… I suppose I'll tell you. You will be the first person at this tree to know…"_

**a/n: Like i said, this is only a prologue, so yes, it's short. Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: So sorry about the lack of updating

**a/n: So sorry about the lack of updating. I had a number of very obnoxious computer troubles. By the way, just a reminder, I don't own any of these characters. They belong solely to Kathryn Lasky.**

Ruby looked out at the gently swaying grass, thinking. How long had it been since Mum and Da went out to hunt? One hour? Two? Ruby didn't know. There was no difference in the grasslands. There was just the grass, the wind, and (for the moment) Ruby. Just as that thought entered the young owl's mind, a small group of owls entered Ruby's sight. She counted them. One, two… three? Who was the third owl? It didn't look like any Ruby had ever seen before, but then again, Ruby hadn't seen much. Two of the owls were short-ears, the other Ruby wasn't sure that it was even an owl. It was so big. So… consuming. The black wings seemed to fill the sky. Glaux, it moved fast. The other owls had a very tough time keeping up. Before too long, the owls and whatever that was, were only a few yards from Ruby's place on the ground. Only too soon, they were there.

"Hello little one," said the black bird. It could scarcely be called an owl. It was too large and too black and just too…well, strange. "Do you know why I'm here?" Ruby was frozen stiff. That voice alone was paralyzing. It sounded so familiar, but Ruby would have remembered something like this. "No? Well then. In that case, I suppose I'll tell you. You see these two owls? You know them, don't you? I needed some one you would recognize so you wouldn't go flying off. Although,…" then the mass of midnight feathers began to change. They began to take on the familiar hue all short-ears shared. But it was so bizarre. The short-eared… was her mum. The same one that was standing farther back. "…I could have just done this."

The blackness was surrounding her. She could feel air beneath her. How was she in a tree? Wait. The blackness. No! The bird! Ruby shook herself loose of the dark swallowing her.

"There you go! I was afraid you didn't move at all." Oh no. The voice. That terribly familiar voice. It was here, and it was speaking to her. Ruby looked around wildly for her parents. Unfortunately, her eyes found them. Well, she found what used to be them. "Oh yes. I am sorry about them. I couldn't have them getting in the way. I need to teach you some things little one. Some things you need to do, but before we get to that, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lutta."

**a/n: Dun dun dun! I hope it won't be so long till my next update, but hey. You never know.**


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: Due to popular demand, I'm making this chapter longer

**a/n: Due to popular demand, I'm making this chapter longer. Enjoy!**

**The usual disclaimer here**

Lutta. So the evil had a name. And a physical form. No matter how often she changed it, it was still her. Lutta.

"Little one. I can not always call you that, you know. Even though I will always be stronger, you will not always be quite as weak as you are now. What am I to call you?"

"R-Ruby is my name." She didn't know why she told her. She could have made up a false name; she could have refused (though it was not guaranteed she would live after a refusal). She could have done anything but what she did. Now she knew who Ruby was. Perhaps Lutta would simply kill her. Maybe she only wanted to know her name so that she may let other owls know who she had killed. Had she asked her parents their names before she killed them? Ruby would never know.

"What is it my little gem? You look terrified! Surely you don't think I'll kill you." Ruby's eyes widened considerably. Could she read her thoughts?!

"How did you know?"

"Hahahaha! My hot-headed gem, it's written all over your face! I'm good at reading owls, but not that good. Only Kreeth was ever that good!"

"Kreeth…?"

"What?! Haven't you heard the legends? Well? Have you? I'll judge by the vacant look in your eyes that you haven't."

"I've heard the legends!" Ruby said with indignation. She prided herself on the little knowledge her parents had a chance to impart in her before this monster murdered them

"Then THINK! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT KREETH! THE GREATEST OF ALL HAGSFIENDS!" Her remarks were greeted only by more vacant looks from Ruby. "You can't mean… they forgot us?" Did monsters have emotions? Ruby hadn't thought so, but if Lutta was any indicator, Ruby would be inclined to say, yes, they did. She looked hurt when she found that Ruby did not know who this Kreeth was.

"It seems I have even more to teach you than I had thought." She had regained her normal clipped way of speaking now. "Before you will be of any use to me, you must know all that I knew and all that I have learned. That is quite a lot for one as small, insignificant and mindless as you to absorb. I understand that it would take years using traditional methods. I will be back soon," she said as she began to morph into a small Eastern Screech. It was incredible, almost indescribable, that something so large that it seemed to fill the sky could become so tiny and unassuming as an Eastern Screech owl. She looked kind.

Innocent.

Anyone would be fooled. Even Boron and Baran, the great rulers of the even greater tree, and that was exactly what Lutta wanted.

**a/n: Okay. Was it any longer? I really tried. Reviews are highly appreciated. I could actually use a few more before the next chapter, so a few reviews would be very happily accepted!**


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